NHTSA Complaint #10072378 — 1998 OLDSMOBILE 88

IN OCTOBER OF 2003, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON MY OLDSMOBILE 88LS, 3.8 SERIES TWO ENGINE, CAME ON. THE CAR HAD A LOSS OF POWER AND STARTED RUNNING ROUGH. BEFORE I GOT THE CAR STOPPED THE ENGINE QUIT. I LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD TO SEE WATER RUNNING OUT OF THE GASKETS. I CHECKED THE RADIATOR TO FIND NO WATER AND ALSO NOTICED THE OVERFLOW TANK HAD NONE. I PULLED THE DIPSTICK TO FIND ALL THE REMAINING WATER TO BE IN THE OIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED UNDER AND EXTENDED WARRANTY TO THE DEALER OF WHICH IT WAS PUCHASED TO FIND THAT THE UPPER INTAKE HAD EITHER CRACKED OR BURST. THE DEALER REFERED TO THE DAMAGED PART AS A PLENTIUM. THIS OCCURED AT 89,000 MILES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE DAMAGED PART AND PUT THE ENGINE BACK TOGETHER. THE DEALER ADVISED ME TO KEEP A WATCH ON THE CAR TO SEE IF ANY CHANGES DEVELOP. AT THE FIRST THREE THOUSAND MILE OIL CHANGE THE VEHICLE HAD LOST OIL AND I ALSO ADDED WATER TO THE RADIATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO BACK TO THE DEALER BEFORE THE OIL CHANGE FOR LOSS OF GAS MILEAGE AND A FEW OTHER CONCERNS. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE DEALER FOR THE OIL CHANGE THEY PRESSURE TESTED THE ENGINE AND ASKED THAT I LEAVE THE VEHICLE FOR THEM TO CHECK OUT A DETECTED PROBLEM DURING THE PRESSURE TEST. THE REPAIRS DONE DURING THIS TIME INVOLVED THE GASKETS AGAIN, AND ALSO THE HEADS WHERE WARPED AND THEY REPAIRED THEM. AT 106,000 MILES THE DEALER REQUESTED THAT I REPLACE THE ENGINE. THE DEALER TESTED THE ENGINE AGAIN TO DETERMINE AN INTERNAL COOLANT LEAK. NOW THE CAR HAS A LOSS OF WATER AND ALSO HAS STARTED TO BURN SOME OIL. THERE ARE NUMEROUS AMOUNTS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE IS IN ALL OLDSMOBILE, BUICK, PONTIAC, AND CHEVROLET MADE VEHICLES. ALL THE OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES NEED SOME ASSISTANCE.